Officers and Board Members

Learn a bit more about our TVBA Officers and Board Members. As you see us at monthly meetings and events, please feel welcome to introduce yourself and say hello!

Officers

PRESIDENT

Kirby Jay Carmichael wears many hats. First and foremost is that of a teacher. He taught Art for the Catholic Diocese and opened his own art education studio, teaching more than 60,000 children and adults how to spin clay, melt glass and many other arts.

He now works full-time as a Professional Bee Remover and also maintains honey bee colonies for other beekeeper (both new and experienced) with a focus on education moving toward independence.

With an apiary of 20+ colonies, Kirby is always ready to dig into bees and learn more.

VICE PRESIDENT

When Laura Wintersis not outside building something for her homestead she's the General Manager at Rooster Home and Hardware assisting customers with how to can their own produce, how to make compost, build earthworm colonies, protect our native wildlife, and so much more.

Laura loves being a part of Trinity Valley Beekeeping Association so that she can learn so much more from the amazing beekeepers that make this association so special.

TREASURER

Matthew Diazis married to Lara Guerra (the club’s first VP) and has two children.

A former beekeeper, he had to stop for health reasons. He has been a member of the Trinity Valley Beekeepers Association since its re-inception by Alan Eynon and has been an active participant in the club since then.

SECRETARY

John Greiner is a lifelong Dallas resident and ran a successful paint contracting business for almost 50 years. Along the way, he married his high school sweetheart and raised a family- including numerous fur-babies.

Being an avid outdoor sportsman and rancher led him to his love for beekeeping. As a rancher, he tells folks that he owns around 40,000 head--sounds pretty impressive!!

Now into his fourth year beekeeping with 7 hives, he finds rescuing bees to be his latest, newfound sideline. "Let the swarms begin"

Board Members

Christi Baughman began beekeeping over 15 years ago. Like many novice beekeepers, she started with just a few hives in her backyard.

Having grown up in North Dakota and currently living in Texas, Christi realized she had access to two prime beekeeping locations in the US.

These two locations have led beegirl.biz to become a full-time operation which includes raising nucs and bees, producing North Dakota honey, pollinating almonds in California, and teaching beekeeping classes.

Pat McKannan is married to his wife Eva. He lived and was raised in Kentucky.

Pat spent 48 years working for the bell system before retiring.

I got into beekeeping probably because of my memories of my father doing it.

Mark Baty...details still pending, one year later- come on Mark!!!

From the moment Laura Winters was born she was outside making mud pies and burying insects that had passed on.

With a background of playing guitar and singing she's now a passionate gardener, beekeeper, and chicken tenderer.

Ryan Giesecke owns and operates G-Bar Naturals, an urban homestead project in East Dallas. He offers homegrown products and learning opportunities, as well as performing bee-friendly removals of honey bees and bumble bees as “Honey Bee Relocation Services."

Ryan is a certified Texas Master Beekeeper, and trained with the North Texas Master Naturalists, is past president of TVBA and Metro Beekeepers, and is current president of the TX Association of Professional Bee Removers.

Chris Chance has over 25 years of experience in IT and entrepreneurship and brings a profound passion for beekeeping to the forefront of his beekeeping venture, Oak Cliff Bee Company.

As a seasoned beekeeper and part of the Texas Master Beekeeper program, he stands distinguished for his innovative and forward-thinking approaches to apiculture.

His extensive knowledge, combined with a deep commitment to the well-being of bees and sustainable practices, has been a driving force behind the advancement of Oak Cliff Bee Company's mission.

Chris's wealth of expertise, emphasis on best practices, utilization of technology, service delivery, and unwavering dedication are invaluable cornerstones in promoting responsible beekeeping practices and fervently advocating for the conservation of these essential pollinators.

Jodi Dubuclet ..details pending

Dan Gorrell

Dan, his wife and daughters became accidental beekeepers last year when friends of theirs convinced them to rescue a swarm of bees in their backyard. We had no idea what we were doing or getting into. As urban homesteaders in East Dallas, bees made logical sense. Keeping bees couldn't be that hard, right?

Wrong. We later learned that 'New-bees' usually wait a year before making the honey plunge. Despite the stings and the steep learning curve, keeping bees was one of the highlights of our year. Our apiary 'magically' grew from 1 to 4 hives the first year...and we plan on growing our apiary in the coming years. We feel incredibly grateful for TVBA and its sweet members that guided us through the joys and challenges of keeping happy bees.

Dan travels all over the world to teach conservation agriculture to communities that experience hunger or food insecurity. Many subsistence farmers wish they could keep bees for additional income but they don't know how to. He looks forward to supporting local subsistence farmers to become increasingly self-sufficient through beekeeping.

Kevin Smith ..details pending